TITLE: Arguments

AUTHOR: Kelly Rowe

RATING: PG

DISCLAIMER: Buffy, Angel and all other characters (except those I make up) are the absolute property of Joss Whedon, Fox, Mutant Enemy and Warner Bros (If I owned them, the events of Buffy season 4 or most of season 3 wouldn't have occurred).

SPOILERS: General (if any)

TIMELINE: Over 17 years after IWRY

DISTRIBUTION: You want you can have it, just tell me where you put it.

Buffy hit him again. "Don't you dare speak to me" she said.

"Hit me one more time and I'll..." Angel said, barely keeping his anger under control.

"You'll what? You can't do anything to me or I'll..." Buffy started to say.

Angel cut her off, "What? You'll stop me from seeing my daughter for another 17 years".

"You bast..."

"Stop it" Hope yelled, from across the room. She marched over there and stood between them, she then turned to Buffy and said, "I've just found him, so I would totally appreciate it, if you'd not kill him just yet". She turned to Angel and told him, "She's my mother and if you hurt her, I'll kill you".

Everyone stared at Hope in shock, as she simply walked back over to Dev and sat back down as if nothing had happened.

When no one was saying anything, Buffy said "Well, come on, you didn't come all this way to stare at walls. Just say what you came here to say". When still nobody said anything, she continued, "You should have just left us alone".

"What about me? Didn't I deserve to know?" Angel asked, coldly.

"No. You gave up any rights you had when you turned the day back" Buffy replied, just as coldly.

That was when a voice from the basement yelled, "Give it to him Slayer".

The room fell silent once again, all of them had things they needed to say, but no one wanted to start another fight.

About an hour later, Dev leaned over to Hope and said, "I'd better go. I want to get in another patrol before sun-up, and..."

"They're making you uncomfortable" Hope replied.

"Yeah. I'll see you tonight?" he asked.

"Tonight" Hope agreed.

Dev got up and waved good-by before exiting. His departure caused Willow to ask, "Where's he going?"

"Patrol, then home. The sun will be up soon," Hope told her.

"So?" Willow asked, not getting the connection.

"So vampires can't go out in the sun," Hope reminded her sarcastically.

Hearing this Joyce panicked history was repeating it-self. "You're dating a what?"

Hope said each word as if she was talking to a two-year-old, "Dev... is... a... vampire".

Joyce then turned to Buffy and said, "You let her date one of them?"

"Why not. I did" Buffy replied, sleepily.

"And look what happened there" Xander joined in, sarcastically.

"Hey he's got a soul," Hope protested, angrily. She really didn't like Xander; in fact she wished he were a vamp so she could take care of him once and for all.

"So at least you're not bonking the un-dead" Xander commented, once again sarcastically.

"My God. You really are a sad little man, aren't you?" Hope replied.

"Maybe you should snap me like a twig and put me out of my misery" Xander snapped at her.

"I would, but you're not worth the energy I'd have to expend to do it" Hope told him, matter-of-factly.

Giles, Cordy and Doyle who had all fallen asleep were awoken by Xander's outraged scream of, "WHAT?"

The End